Best restaurants and what to eat
Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo is the culinary heart of the Dominican Republic, where coastal seafood, Creole home cooking, and street foods meet a lively urban dining culture. The cuisine leans on rice, beans, plantains, cassava, tropical fruit, and bold sazones, with sweets and rum-based drinks reflecting the city’s colonial heritage and Caribbean identity.
The city’s kitchens rely on yuca for its clean, earthy flavor and starchy, silky bite. Boiled, fried, or mashed, it is a foundational side for seafood and meat dishes and pairs especially well with garlicky sauces and citrus.
Dominican plantains are a daily staple in Santo Domingo, valued for their sweet, creamy flesh when ripe and savory depth when green. They appear fried, mashed, or baked, often alongside stews, cheeses, and salty meats.
Sweet potato is used for its honeyed flavor and tender texture, especially in hearty home-style meals. In Santo Domingo it often accompanies roasted pork, fish, or breakfast plates, adding warmth and natural sweetness.
This local yam brings a dense, earthy richness to Dominican stews and boiled dishes. In the capital, it is prized for its comforting texture and its ability to absorb sofrito, garlic, and broth.
Auyama, a Caribbean squash, lends velvety body and gentle sweetness to soups, mashes, and stews. In Santo Domingo it is a beloved everyday ingredient, especially in dishes that need a naturally creamy finish.
Green bananas are boiled, fried, or mashed into sturdy, savory accompaniments with a pleasantly firm texture. They are central to Dominican comfort food and are often served with codfish, stews, or eggs.
Dominican rum is the island’s signature spirit, often smooth, amber, and shaped by aging in oak. In Santo Domingo it is sipped neat, over ice, or mixed into classic Caribbean cocktails.
One of the best-known rums associated with the Dominican Republic, Brugal is prized for its clean, dry profile. In Santo Domingo it is widely enjoyed in social settings and mixed drinks, especially with cola or citrus.
Barceló is a major Dominican rum known for its smoothness and approachable oak-kissed flavor. It is commonly served in the capital as a sipping rum or in refreshing highballs.
Bermúdez is a historic Dominican rum brand with a long national reputation. In Santo Domingo it represents classic island drinking culture, balancing sweetness, spice, and mellow barrel notes.
Macorix rum offers a softer, modern Dominican profile with gentle vanilla and caramel tones. It is a familiar name in the capital for casual drinking and cocktails.
The Dominican Republic’s iconic pale lager is crisp, light, and built for tropical heat. In Santo Domingo it is the default beer for bars, beach outings, and fried-food pairings.
The emblematic Dominican plate of rice, beans, and stewed meat, representing the everyday heartbeat of Santo Domingo’s cooking. It is hearty, savory, and deeply satisfying, often finished with salad, avocado, and fried plantains.
Mashed fried plantains formed into a dense, garlicky mound with pork cracklings or seafood variations. In Santo Domingo it is loved for its rich texture and bold seasoning, especially when served with a savory broth or shrimp sauce.
A smooth mash of boiled green plantains with butter, oil, or sautéed onions, iconic in Dominican breakfast culture. In the capital it is often served with salami, fried cheese, and eggs for a classic savory start to the day.
A rich mixed-meat stew built on roots, plantains, squash, and aromatic herbs. Santo Domingo versions are especially celebratory, with a deep broth and layered flavor that reflects the city’s home-cooking traditions.
A thick rice soup or wet rice dish, often made with chicken, seafood, or both, and seasoned with tomato, peppers, and herbs. In Santo Domingo it is a comforting, spoonable meal prized for its brothy depth.
Fish cooked in coconut milk yields a silky, aromatic sauce with a gentle sweetness that flatters the seafood. In Santo Domingo it is a coastal favorite, usually paired with rice and fried plantains.
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